Pleating attachment for a sewing machine



July 18, 1967 H. FIRESTEIN ETAL PLEATING ATTACHMENT FOR A SEWING MACHINE5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 6, 1965 INVENTORS: 1

ROBERT BOUTHILLIER BY g z ATTORN I HARRY FIRESTEIN EUGENE THEROUX FRANKBARROWS July 18, 1967 H. FIRESTEIN ETAL 3, 3 ,3

PLEATING ATTACHMENT FOR Av SEWING MACHINE Filed April 6, 1965 5Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS: HARRY FIRESTEIN EUGENF THEROUX BY FRANKBARROWS ROBERT UTHILLIER I ATTORN July 18, 1967 H. FIRESTEIN ETALPLEATING ATTACHMENT FOR A SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet .3

Filed April 6, 1965 INVENTORS:

L mmmu E TW N SEDn R RT B T F B T E T. A mmmm RGAB AURO HEFR y 19.67 H.FIREASTEIN ETAL 3,331,345

PLEATING ATTACHMENT FOR A SEWING MACHINE Filed April 6, 1965 5Sheets-Sheet 4v F IG. 5

ROBERT BO THILLIER ATTNEY PLEATING ATTACHMENT FOR A SEWING MACHINE FiledApril 6, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NC ONO I ONO NO ocl 2 s I g? s 4 5 eTRANSFORMER HARRY FIR'E SQYR F l G. .6 EUGENE THEROUX BY FRANK BARROWSROBERT B THILLIER i ATT NEY United States Patent C 3,331,345 PLEATINGATTACHMENT FOR A SEWING MACHINE Harry Firestein, Barrington, R.I., andEugene Theroux, Danielson, Frank Barrows, Putnam, and RobertBouthillier, Dayville, Comm, assignors, by mesne assignments, to LouisHand Incorporated, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 6, 1965,Ser. No. 445,907 20 Claims. (Cl. 112-434) Our present invention relatesto sewing machine attachments and more particularly to a novel pleatingattachment.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide anattachment for a sewing machine which will automatically form pleatsalong a length of curtain or drape'ry material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pleatingattachment for a sewing machine which will form the desired pleats apredetermined distance apart from each other.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pleatingattachment for a sewing machine which will automatically form the firstpleat a shorter distance from the edge than the distances between thepleats.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machineattachment for forming pleats which is completely automatic in operationutilizing electrical and pneumatic means for operating the attachment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pleatingattachment for a sewing machine which is compar-atively simple inconstruction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, ourinvention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosedin the detailed description following in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a sewing machine for pleatingshowing the location of the switches.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the sewing machine and pleating attachmentwith the sewing machine head removed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the pleating device.

FIG. 4 is an end view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the pneumatic valve hookup.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of the electrical hookup.

In the manufacture of curtains and draperies it is customary to providethe upper edge of the material with a stiffening such as buckram. Theupper edge with the stiffening material is then run through a devicewhich scores the material along fold lines to form pleats. These pleatsmust of course be positioned in an equal distance apart depending uponthe particular design required. Normally, at each side edge, the firstpleat is a shorter distance from the edge than the effective distancebetween the pleats. The operator uses a sewing machine which is equippedwith an attachment for sewing pleats. This attachment swings thematerial laterally first one Way and then the other way to provide adouble stitching along the pleats. The operator folds the material intothe plea-t as previously scored and places it under the foot of themachine which then proceeds with the sewing operation. The operator thenpicks up the material, takes the next pleat, folds it and again placesit under the needle of the machine. It is obvious that this is a slowand tedious and costly process. Not only must the material first bescored,

but the operator is required to handle each pleat individ-' ually andindividually fold the pleat before placing beneath the needle. Thepresent invention is designed-to eliminate much of this labor and toprovide automatic mean-s for folding the material ready to be placedunder the needle by the operator. The scoring or preliminary preparationof the material is eliminated. The device of the present invention canbe adjusted to provide for different spacing of the pleats. Furthermorethe device of the present invention compensates for the fact that thefirst pleat must be closer to the edge than the distance between thepleats.

Referring to the drawings illustrating our invention, the sewing machineillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 for sewing the pleats is of a conventionaltype. The machine is mounted on the base or table 10 having the usualvertical post 12, horizontal portion 14 and sewing head 16 with theneedle 18 depending vertically from the sewing head 16 as is shown inFIG. 1. Now viewing FIG. 1, the conventional pleat-ing machine isprovided with the apparatus mounted within and beneath the sewing head.A vertical leg 20 extends inwardly of and parallel to the verticalsewing head portion 12 and is provided with a horizontal portion 22extending beneath the sewing machine portion 14 and terminating in thefront with a vertical portion 24. Depending from the portion 24 is anarm 26 extending forwardly and downwardly and supporting a flat frame28. The usual mechanism for operating the arm 26 and frame 28 is mountedacross the frame 20, 22, 24 and is tied into the cam drive of the sewingmachine in a conventional manner. The operator pushes a lever and theframe 28 is raised to permit the placing of the material or pleatbeneath the frame. The operator then 'allows the frame 28 to drop on toand hold the material. Actually this replaces the standard presser footof a sewing machine. Now when the operator pushes the treadle and startsthe sewing operation, the frame 28 and arm 26 is moved laterally in anare substantially at right angles to the front of the machine first inone direction and then in the opposite direct-ion to provide a doublesuperimposed row of stitches. All of the above is of substantiallyconventional construction. The present invention is particularlyconcerned with the formation of the pleat that the operator places underthe frame 28 and the formation of the next pleat at the properpredetermined distance along the edge of the material.

Now extending laterally from the rear side edge of the machine is anangle iron 30 on which a pivot post 32 is mounted. Extending from thepost 32 at an acute angle to the side edge of the base 10 as shown inFIG. 2, is an elongated support 34 on which i mounted a pneumaticcylinder 36. Operation of the cylinder 36 and its associated piston iscontrolled, in a manner hereinafter described, through the air hose 38adjacent one end, the air hose 40 positioned intermediate the ends andthe air hose 42 adjacent the other end. Mounted at the front top edge ofthe cylinder 36 is an elongated rectangular plate 44 fixed to thecylinder at the rear at bolts 46. The plate 44 is slotted and open inthe center at 48 terminating at the front end at two spaced legs 50. Thepiston rod 52 extends from the cylinder 36 beneath the plate 44 andbeyond the front edge of the plate. A cover plate 54 is mounted on thetop of the piston 52 at 56 and reciprocates beneath the slotted portion48 of the plate 44.

Mounted transversely of the plate 44 is a plate 58 pivoted at 66 to thepiston 52 through the slotted portion 48 of the plate 44. With thisarrangement in and out movement of the piston 52 will carry the pivotedplate 58. Extending from the piston 52 rearwardly of the plate 58 is abar 62 parallel to the rear edge of the plate 58. The outer end of thebar 62 is provided with an adjustable set screw 64 which bears againstone end of the plate 58. Extending from the set screw 64 is a leafspring 66 having its free end bearing against the intermediate portionof the plate 58 adjacent its pivot 60. A second adjustable set screw 68extends through the bar 62 and bears against the leaf spring 66 topermit adjustment of the tension thereof. \Vith this arrangement theplate 58 cannot be pivoted counterclockwise, the limit of its swingcounterclockwise being governed by the adjustable set screw 64. However,the plate 58 can be pivoted clockwise but such motion will be againstthe action of the leaf spring 66 and upon release of turning pressurethe spring 66 will tend to move the plate 58 back into the positionshown in FIG. 2.

Now viewing FIG. 3, an L-shaped s pport 70 extends to the left of theplate 58. Mounted on one side of the vertical leg of the L-shapedsupport is an elongated rectangular hinge plate 72 with the hingeportion turned inwardly over the top of the vertical leg of the support70. Mounted on the opposite side of the vertical leg of the support 70is a similar hinge plate 74 with the hinge portion turned away from theL-shaped support 70. Between the plate 74 and the vertical leg of theL-shaped support 70 is a fiat rectangular tongue or plate 76. The plates72 and '74 are mounted by means of bolts 78 which may be positioned invertical slots for adjusting the vertical position of the hinge plates.Furthermore, an arm 80 may be mounted outside one of the plates to actas a stop for the pivotal motion of the wing sections 82 pivoted to theplates 72 and 74. The wing sections 82 are elongated generallyrectangular members having forwardly extending fingers 84 and designedto hingedly extend outwardly from the central tongue or plate 76 asshown in FIG. 4. The rear ends of the wing sections 82 are connected bya coil spring 86 to resiliently retain the sections in proper position.

Now mounted transversely on the plate 58 is a vertical supporting plate88 upon which the pleating arm 90 is pivotally mounted at 92. Thepleating arm 90 is an inverted U-shaped member, see FIG. 4, with thelong free end extending over the vertical tongue or plate 76 between thewings 82 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Pivotal movement of the pleating armor lever 90 is controlled by an air cylinder 94 mounted beneath and tothe left of the plate 58 as shown in FIG. 3 having an air hoseconnection 96 and a piston 98 bearing against the rear end of the arm90. A coil spring 100 connects the outer edge of the plate 58 with theback end of the arm 90 to resiliently retain the arm in raised positionas shown in FIG. 3. Between the piston 98 and the pivot point 92 the arm90 is provided with a pivotally depending internally threaded member102. An adjustment screw 104 extends through an opening in the plate 58and into the member 102. The screw 104 carries adjustable nuts 106. Itis obvious that upward movement of the rear end of the arm 90 is limitedby the distance bewteen the nuts 106 and the bottom of the plate 58.Therefore, the downward stroke of the free outer end of arm 90 islimited by the adjustment of the nuts 106 along the bot 104.

With the above described arrangement, if a length of material isinserted across the top of the wings 82 beneath the arm 90 and then thearm 90 brought sharply downwardly, the arms of the inverted U-shaped arm90 will push the material downwardly on each side of the central plateor tongue 76, to allow the material to move downwardly on each side ofthe plate 76 the wings 82 will be swung inwardly on their pivots toproduce the necessary slack. A sharp triple fold is thus formed, thematerial moving over the top of gne wing upwardly along one side of thetongue 76 into the U-shaped portion of the arm 90 around the top of thetongue 76 downwardly and then up over the other wing. With buckram orother stiffening material inserted in the curtain, an even three foldpleat is thus formed. Now if the operator grasps the material with thefingers of both hand straddling the downwardly positioned arm 90, asliding motion to the 4 left in FIG. 3 will slide the pleat outwardlyfrom the device and leave the pleat firmly within the fingers of theoperator. The operator can then lift the frame 28 by means of the usualfoot pedal and insert the pleat under the needle ready for sewing.

The complete cycle of operation includes not only the formation of thepleat, but actual measurement between pleats and between the last pleatand the edge. The operation is as follows:

The operator presses a foot pedal to lift the frame 28. This actiontrips a switch which energizes a main relay and the entire electricalsystem. One of the valves, energized by the system, normally moves thepiston from the cylinder 36 to the left a distance of one inch. Themounting of the pleating device shown in FIG. 3 is adjustable along thelength of the piston 52 to position the pleating device a predetermineddistance from the needle which measures the spacing between the pleats.The operator now inserts the edge of the material and allows it to beclamped beneath the frame 28. Now the operator starts the machine withthe conventional treadle and as the needle is sewing and the material isswung downwardly in FIG. 2 but actually, facing the machine, to theright towards the pleating device the operator holds the maaterial andallows it to slip under the arm and over the wings 82 in the positionshown in FIG. 3. At this point a mechanical cam on the sewing machineoperates.

a valve which directs air to the hose 96 and cylinder 94 and operatesthe pleating device to form the pleat in the manner hereinabovedescribed. As the pleater comes down and the material begins to swing inthe opposite direction the operator slips the finished pleat out fromunder the arm 90 and is left with three folds in the hand. But at thesame time, the movement of the pleating arm 90 operates a switch whichdeenergizes the original valve which moved the cylinder out one inch andallows a smaller air pressure to gradually return the cylinder to itsoriginal position. This causes a slack in the material as the pleatingarm '90 and the wings 82 are moved inwardly towards the sewing machineand allows the operator to more readily remove'the finished pleat.Additional slack can be provided by the operator by turning the deviceclockwise towards the sewing :machine against the action of the spring66. This completes the cycle of operation. The edge of the material hasbeen stitched and the next pleat has been formed a predetermineddistance along the material measured by the movement of the cylinderaway from the needle area and clamp 28.

Now the operator again lifts the frame 28- with the foot pedal againenergizing the system and moving the cylinder 36 and its piston 52 outone inch. However, now the operator positions a completely folded pleatbeneath the frame 28. Such pleats contain three folds of material andare much thicker than the edge of the material. The insertion of thefinished pleat energizes another switch which now moves the piston outthree inches. This takes care of the spacing between the pleats asdistinguished from the spacing between the first pleat and the edge ofthe material which is much less. Again the operation of the sewingmachine operates the pleater which in turn cuts off the air and allowsthe piston to return to normal and leaves sufiicient slack in thematerial for the operator to remove the next pleat. As each cycle isperformed, one pleat is being sewn while the next one is being formed ameasured distance away, the entire operation being automatic.

The above described cycles of operation are controlled by the pneumaticsystem illustrated in FIG. 5 and the electrical system illustrated inFIG. 6. Now at the start of the cycle as the operator pushes a footpedal to lift the frame 28, an arm 108 trips a microswitch 110. Thisenergizes the relay 112 and operates a solenoid 114 which controls avalve 116. This directs the air pressure through the hose 38 to theycylinder 36 and moves the piston 52 carrying the arm 90 and theassociated pleating mechanism a distance of one inch. Now the operationof the machine mechanically, by means of a cam, operates the valve 118which directs the air through the hose 96 into the cylinder 94 andallows its piston 98 tooperate the pleater arm 90. Movement of thepleater arm 90 trips a microswitch 120 which deenergizes the relay andthe solenoid 114 and its associated valve 116 and allows the smaller airpressure from the air reduction valve 122 to enter the hose 42 andreturn the piston to its original position. This completes the firstcycle. Now when the operator lifts the frame 28 and again energizes thesystem and move the cylinder out one inch, a completed pleat is nowinserted and this lifts the arm 124 of a microswitch 126, see FIG. 1.The switch 126 energizes the solenoid 128 which operates its associatedvalve 130 directing the air through the hose 40 and moving'the pistonout three inches. The rest of the cycle of operation is similar to thatfor the one inch movement.

With the illustrated hookup, microswitch 110 turns on the entire system,the relay 112 and the solenoid 114 and valve 116 which are normally onwhen the system is turned on by the switch 110. Now when the switch 126is operated, this switch moves from anormally closed position tonormally open position. This closes solenoid 114 and valve 116 and openssolenoid 128 and its valve 130. The entire electrical and pneumatichookup is thus extremely simple and easy to install. A single relay anda single cylinder and piston arrangement is all that is needed tooperate the cycle. The transverse position of the arm 90 and its wings82 for operating the pleater as illustrated in FIG. 2, is adjustablealong the length of the piston 52. This controls the distance betweenpleats. The differential in the movement of the piston between the firstcycle and the second cycle, a difference of two inches, controls thefact that the first pleat is closer to the edge than the differencebetween subsequent pleats. Also, by adjusting the height of the hingeplates 72 and 74 relative to the central tongue 76 and allowing the arm90 to move further downwardly by adjusting the nuts 106 along the bolt104, the depth and size of the pleats can be controlled. Of course withan extremely stiff buckram material deep pleats are more difficult tomake.

It should be noted that the arm 124 which operates the switch 126 is sopositioned that when the single fold of material is inserted beneath theframe 28 it lifts the arm 124 a distance which is insufficient tooperate the switch. Only when the multiple folds of material areinserted beneath the arm 124 will the arm move a sufficient distanceupwardly to operate the switch 126. Also, the switch 110 operated at therear of the machine can easily be mounted adjacent the switch 126 sothat it can be directly operated by the movement of the frame 28 and itsassociated arm 26.

The above mechanism attached to a sewing machine rigged for sewingpleats, completely eliminates the preliminary handling and folding andcompletely elirnates the necessity of measuring. The operator movesswiftly along secure in the fact that the device will accuratelyposition each pleat the correct distance from the preceding pleat. Notethat the angle of the cylinder 36 to the side of th machine is ofextreme importance. It is essential that when the frame 28 moves theedge of the material towards the side of the machine which faces thecylinder 36 the edge of the material must be exactly parallel to thepleating attachment so that the pleat is formed at right angles to thematerial. When the operator is removing the pleat and requires theslack, the device can be swung against the action of the spring 66 ashereinabove described. Other advantages of the present invention will bereadily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle.

2. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device being adjustably mounted on said piston foradjusting the predetermined spacing between the pleats.

3. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said operating means including actuating means for said pistonmoving said pleating device a predetermined distance when a single foldof material is positioned under the clamping frame and a longer distancewhen a folded pleat is positioned under the clamping frame.

4. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device being adjustably mounted on said piston foradjusting the predetermined spacing between the pleats, said operatingmeans including actuating means for said piston moving said pleatingdevice a predetermined distance when a single fold of material ispositioned under the clamping frame and a longer distance when a foldedpleat is positioned under the clamping frame.

5. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device including a central tongue, an invertedU-shaped arm pivotally mounted over said tongue, said operating meansincluding means for pivoting said arm over said tongue to clamp thematerial over said tongue to form a folded pleat.

6. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device including a central tongue, an invertedU-shaped arm pivotally mounted over said tongue, said operating meansincluding means for pivoting said arm over said tongue to clamp thematerial over said tongue to form a folded pleat, said pleating devicebeing adjustably mounted on said piston for adjusting the predeterminedspacing between the pleats.

7. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device including a central tongue, an invertedU-shaped arm pivotally mounted over said tongue, said operating meansincluding means for pivoting said arm over said tongue to clamp thematerial over said tongue to form a folded pleat, said operating meansfurther including actuating means for said piston moving said pleatingdevice a predetermined distance when a single fold of material ispositioned under the clamping frame and a longer distance when a foldedpleat is positioned under the clamping frame.

8. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleat ing device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device including a central tongue, an invertedU-shaped arm pivotally mounted over said tongue, said operating meansincluding means for pivoting said arm over said tongue to clamp thematerial over said tongue to form a folded pleat, said pleating devicebeing adjustably mounted on said piston for adjusting the predeterminedspacing between the pleats, said operating means further includingactuating means for said piston moving said pleating device apredetermined distance when a single fold of material is positionedunder the clamping frame and a longer distance when a folded pleat ispositioned under the clamping frame.

9. 'In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device comprising a central tongue plate, a hingeplate mounted on each side of said tongue, a wing plate hinged to eachof said hinge plates, an elongated inverted U- shaped arm pivotallymounted over said tongue, said operating means including pneumatic meansfor pivoting said arm to swing between said wing plates and over saidtongue.

10. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said plating device comprising a central tongue plate, a hingeplate mounted on each side of said tongue, a wing plate hinged to eachof said hinge plates, an elongated inverted U-shaped arm pivotallymounted over said tongue, said operating means including pneumatic meansfor pivoting said arm to swing between said wing plates and over saidtongue, said pleating device being adjustably mounted on said piston foradjusting the predetermined spacing between the pleates.

11. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device comprising a central tongue plate, a hingeplate mounted on each side of said tongue, a wing plate hinged to eachof said hinge plates, an elongated inverted U-shaped arm pivotallymounted over said tongue, said operating means including pneumatic meansfor pivoting said arm to swing between said wing plates and over saidtongue, said operating means further including actuating means for saidpiston moving said pleating device a predetermined distance when asingle fold of material is positioned under the clamping frame and alonger distance when a folded pleat is positioned under the clampingframe.

12. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device comprising a central tongue plate, a hingeplate mounted on each side of said tongue, a wing plate hinged to eachof said hinge plates, an elongated inverted U-shaped arm pivotallymounted over said tongue, said operating means including pneumatic meansfor pivoting said arm to swing between said wing plates and over saidtongue, said pleating device being adjustably mounted on said piston foradjusting the predetermined spacing between the pleats, said operatingmeans further including actuating means for said piston moving saidpleating device a predetermined distance when a single fold of materialis positioned under the clamping frame and a longer distance when afolded pleat is positioned under the clamping frame.

13. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said operating means including actuating means for said pistonmoving said pleating device a predetermined distance when a single foldof material is positioned under the clamping frame and a longer distancewhen a folded pleat is positioned under the clamping frame, saidactuating means including a microswitch mounted on the sewing machinebase and having a sensing arm extending adjacent the clamping frame,said microswitch becoming operative only on the positioning of a foldedpleat of material under the clamping frame to move said piston thelonger distance.

14. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, apleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device being adjustably mounted on said piston foradjusting the predetermined spacing between the pleats, said operatingmeans including actuating means for said piston moving said pleatingdevice a predetermined distance when a single fold of material ispositioned under the clamping frame and a longer distance when a foldedpleat is positioned under the clamping frame, said actuating meansincluding a microswitch mounted on the sewing machine base and having asensing arm extending adjacent the clamping frame, said microswitchbecoming operative only on the positioning of a folded pleat of materialunder the clamping frame to move said piston the longer distance.

15. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device including a central tongue, an invertedU-shaped arm pivotally mounted over said tongue, said operating meansincluding means for pivoting said arm over said tongue to clamp the.material over said tongue to form a folded pleat, said operating meansincluding actuating means for said piston moving said pleating device apredetermined distance when a single fold of material is positionedunder the clamping frame and a longer distance when a folded pleat ispositioned under the clamping frame, a microswitch mounted on the sewingmachine base and having a sensing arm extending adjacent the clampingframe, said actuating means including said microswitch becomingoperative only on the positioning of a folded pleat of material underthe clamping frame to move said piston the longer distance.

16. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base piv-otallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device in cluding a central tongue, an invertedU-shaped arm pivotally mounted over said tongue, said operating meansincluding means for pivoting said arm over said tongue to clamp thematerial over said tongue to form a folded pleat, said pleating devicebeing adjustably mounted on said piston for adjusting the predeterminedspacing between the pleats, said operating means including actuatingmeans for said piston moving said pleating device a predetermineddistance when a single fold of material is positioned under the clampingframe and a longer distance when a folded pleat is positioned under theclamping frame, said actuating means including a microswitch mounted onthe sewing machine base and having a sensing arm extending adjacent theclamping frame, said microswitch becoming operative only on thepositioning of a folded pleat of material under the clamping frame tomove said piston the longer distance.

17. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a ver' tically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneum'atic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device comprising a central tongue plate, a hingeplate mounted on each side of said tongue, a wing plate hinged to eachof said hinge plates, an elongated inverted U-shaped arm pivotallymounted over said tongue, said operating means including pneumatic meansfor pivoting said arm to swing between said wing plates and over saidtongue, said operating means including actuating means for said pistonmoving said pleating device a redetermined distance when a single foldof material is positioned under the clamping frame and a longer distancewhen a folded pleat is posi tioned under the clamping frame, saidactuating means including a microswitch mounted on the sewing machinebase and having a sensing arm extending adjacent the clamping frame,said microswitch becoming operative only on the positioning of a foldedpleat of material under the clamping frame to move said piston thelonger distance.

18. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, 'a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device comprising a central tongue plate, a hingeplate mounted on each side of said tongue, a wing plate hinged to eachof said hinge plates, an elongated inverted U-shaped arm pivotallymounted over said tongue, said operating means including pneumatic meansfor pivoting said arm to swing between said wing plates and over saidtongue, said pleating device being adjustably mounted on said piston foradjusting the predetermined spacing between the pleats, said operatingmeans including actuating means for said piston moving said pleatingdevice a predetermined distance when a single fold of material ispositioned under the clamping frame and a longer distance when a foldedpleat is positioned under the clamping frame, said actuating meansincluding a microswitch mounted on the sewing machine base and having asensing arm extending adjacent the clamping frame, said microswitchbecoming operative only on the positioning of a folded pleat of materialunder the clamping frame to move said piston the longer distance.

19. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath a vertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said operating means including a plurality of solenoid operatedvalves for regulating the pneumatic pressure to said cylinder, a camoperated pneumatic valve for operating said pleating device, a relay forcontrolling the valve system, and a microswitch operated by the liftingof the clamping frame for energizing said relay and control systems.

20. In a pleat sewing machine having a clamping frame for transverselyreciprocating the material beneath avertically reciprocating sewingneedle, a pleating attachment comprising an elongated base pivotallymounted at one end adjacent one side edge of the sewing machine, apneumatic cylinder mounted on said base, a piston extending from saidcylinder beyond the front end of the sewing machine, a pleating devicemounted on said piston transversely thereof, the material being pleatedextending from the sewing needle to said pleating device, and means foroperating said pleating device to form a folded pleat on the materialwhen said material is in a predetermined position under the sewingneedle, said pleating device being adjustably mounted on said piston foradjusting the predetermined spacing between the pleats, said operatingmeans including actuating means for said piston moving said pleatingdevice a predetermined distance when a single fold of material ispositioned under the clamping frame and a longer distance when a foldedpleat is positioned under the clamping frame, said operating meansfurther including a plurality of solenoid operated valves for regulatingthe pneumatic pressure to said cylinder, a cam operated pneumatic valvefor operating said pleating device, a relay for controlling the valvesystem, and a microswitch operated by the lifting of the clamping framefor energizing said relay and control systems.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,662,494 12/1953 Seaman et a1112132 2,665,650 1/1954 Lepow 1l2102 2,669,955 2/1954 Gellman 223-30 X2,803,207 8/1957 Sotzky 112l58 3,156,202 11/1964 Fetter et a1 112102 XJORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

H. H. HUNTER, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A PLEAT SEWING MACHINE HAVING A CLAMPING FRAME FOR TRANSVERSELYRECIPROCATING THE MATERIAL BENEATH A VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING SEWINGNEDDLE, A PLEATING ATTACHMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BASE PIVOTALLYMOUNTED AT ONE EN ADJACENT ONE SIDE EDGE OF THE SEWING MACHINE, APNEUMATIC CYLINDER MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A PISTON EXTENDING FROM SAIDCYLINDER BEYOND THE FRONT END OF THE SEWING MACHINE, A PLEATING DEVICEMOUNTED ON SAID PISTON TRANSVERSELY THEREOF, THE MATERIAL BEING PLEATEDEXTENDING FROM THE SEWING NEDDLE TO SAID PLEATING DEVICE, AND MEANS FOROPERATING SAID PLEATING DEVICE TO FORM A FOLDED PLEAT ON THE MATERIALWHEN SAID MATERIAL IS IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION UNDER THE SEWINGNEDDLE.